Album Review

Folks who think Kid Rock has gone too commercial and that the big country and rap stars who have done country-rap tracks haven't built any true momentum for the hybrid genre should love these Jawga Boyz, whose 17-track trip to the Kuntry is all at once hilarious, engaging, infectious, twangy, and soulful. As it rolls long from the funky, harmonica-laced front porch lament "Dirty for Weeks" through the hypnotic street vibe of "Buckle Up or Bow Down," the listener gets the sense of being in a car overheating and conking out in some hick town between Memphis and Nashville. Led by lead vocalist/rapper D. Thrash, the group has been dreaming of the city while coming up in the woods, doing underground projects since the early 2000s. Highlights of this glorious "hick-hop" explosion include the infectious synth and beat-driven "Rollin' Like a Redneck" (which happens when country boys talk badass about their white trash life), the twangy acoustic guitar strum-filled autobiographical pop tune "Far from Over," and the lushly produced, bragging swagger of "Ridin' High." They also use tropical synth touches for a spirited, grooving "Trip 2 Mexico." These Boyz are talented musicians, rhymers, and producers — with tongue firmly planted in cheek as they talk about their hood, which no doubt includes some run-down double wides.

Biography

Formed: 2003 in Athens, GA

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Years Active: '00s, '10s

Jawga Boyz came up during the 2013-2014 season when the genre of hick-hop was exploding across the charts, but the Athens, Georgia crew preferred to refer to their rap-meets-country music as "kuntry" to separate themselves from the competition. Formed in 2003, the group went through numerous personnel changes before finding the right mix with Derek Thrasher, Justin Young, A.J. McIntyre, Mark Bryant, Matt "Manchild" Marshall, and Cody "Stixxx" Hutchings. Uploading tracks like "Rollin Like a Redneck"...